Electrostatics; Exploring, Controlling and Using Static Electricity, Including the Dirod Manual

Book by Moore, A. D.

Electrostatics is the reader's opportunity to learn from A. D. Moore (1895-1989), the unquestioned authority on static electricity, as he recounts his lifetime of experimentation and invention. It is written in an exceptionally clear and direct prose that the reader might think he/she is actually hearing the author talk about the history of the exploration of electrostatics.

Moore's explanations of atomic structure, electrical fields, etc. are so simple; they are easily understood at the high school level. This book is full of information that it will also serve college students well. Examples and historical anecdotes reinforce factual information. Teachers can profit from studying Moore's style of presentation.

The first section of the book focuses on the theory of static electricity and the evolution of the theoretical principles. Proper attention is given to earlier contributors such as Franklin, Faraday, Kelvin, Maxwell, and Van de Graaf.

The second section of the book explains how to construct one's own electrostatic generator. The explanations are clear and precise with easy-to-follow diagrams and a list of materials. Any teacher who wants an electrostatic generator can easily construct one as a class project.

The third section offers 25 demonstrations that can be used in classrooms or for science fair projects. They represent a broad spectrum of sophistication from the repulsion of two Styrofoam cups to the "pizza pan perpetual motion" experiment. First written in 1968, it has a freshness that makes it instructive and highly interesting for today. It's a good addition to the school or classroom library. -- Noojin Waalker, The Science Teacher Magazine, December 98